Friday, November 21, 2008

MD - Ex-Lawmaker McKee Sentenced for Child Porn

BALTIMORE - Former Maryland delegate Robert McKee was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing child pornography.

McKee served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 1994. He resigned in February after the investigation became public. He was also the executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Washington County from 1978 until he stepped down in February.

"Federal and state law enforcement officials are working together in Maryland to combat sexual exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein in a press release.

Prosecutors say McKee's home was searched on January 31st of this year. A resident in the home told the Washington County Sheriff's Department she had found child pornography on McKee's computer. She also provided a deputy with computer printed pages with the images.

Investigators seized between 10 and 150 images of kiddie porn, including photos of prepubescent children.

McKee was able to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors.- So what was the so-called plea agreement?

Attorneys say McKee admitted to getting child porn beginning in 2004; he got the images through Internet sites and mail order services. The U.S. State's Attorney also says McKee had journals that described simultaneously printing images of child pornography and printing stories that described sexual acts between young boys and other young boys or adult men. The journals also described him reading the stories as he looked at the pictures.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore and Washington County State’s Attorney Charles P. Strong, Jr., and their offices, for their work in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case.